Q1 2026 Rankings

Space Tech Startups to Watch, Q1 2026

Name: Space Tech Startups, Engineering Acceleration Dataset, Q1 2026
Creator: VC Deal Flow Signal
Published: 2026-08-25
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Space tech has a small but distinct engineering footprint on GitHub.

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Key takeaways, at a glance

In Q1 2026, 8 of 18 tracked space tech startups show positive engineering acceleration. orbitalindex leads with 1 commits over 14 days (+999% change). The dominant signal pattern is "Deceleration". Average sector commit velocity is 42 commits per 14-day window. These engineering momentum signals have historically preceded fundraise announcements by three to six weeks.

Data sourced from public GitHub activity. Read our methodology

Space Tech, Velocity Change, top 8 startups by 14-day commit velocity change. Data: VC Deal Flow Signal.

Deceleration (10, 56%)

Deploy frequency spike (5, 28%)

Framework migration (3, 17%)

Signal type distribution across 18 space tech startups. Data: VC Deal Flow Signal.

#	Company	Stage	Geo	Commits (14d)	Change	Contributors	Contrib. Growth	New Repos	Signal
1	orbitalindex Space: weekly, technical, curated. View signal profile →	Growth	Unknown	1	+999%	64	+0%	0	Deploy frequency spike
2	iff-gsc Institute of Flight Guidance (IFF), TU Braunschweig View signal profile →	Pre-seed	EU	3	+999%	5	+0%	0	Deploy frequency spike
3	ossimlabs Collection of repositories comprising the OSSIM and OMAR projects. Make sure you clone "ossim" repository first! View signal profile →	Series A/B	Unknown	10	+999%	34	+0%	0	Deploy frequency spike
4	CelestiaProject View signal profile →	Growth	Unknown	14	+600%	56	+0%	0	Deploy frequency spike
5	endless-sky Space exploration, trading, and combat game. View signal profile →	Growth	US	31	+182%	54	+0%	0	Deploy frequency spike
6	OpenC3 Open Source. Open Architecture. Command, Control and Communication View signal profile →	Growth	US	204	+115%	50	+32%	2	Framework migration
7	CCSDSPy This community-developed package provides a Python interface for reading and writing binary data in the CCSDS format use View signal profile →	Seed	Unknown	15	+67%	11	+0%	0	Framework migration
8	DaedalusDock Spacecraft simulation and mission analysis software for orbital mechanics and trajectory optimization. View signal profile →	Growth	Unknown	26	+44%	287	+0%	0	Framework migration
9	open-space-collective Collaborative space. View signal profile →	Pre-seed	Unknown	50	-2%	5	+0%	0	Deceleration
10	NASA-AMMOS Administrator contacts: Aniwat.Nik.Sheurpukdi@jpl.nasa.gov and shawn.n.nguyen@jpl.nasa.gov. For AMMOS software tech su View signal profile →	Series A/B	Unknown	10	-9%	40	+30%	0	Deceleration
11	naev Migrated to https://codeberg.org/naev .Naev is a 2D space trading and combat game that combines elements from the action View signal profile →	Growth	Unknown	171	-13%	168	+0%	0	Deceleration
12	elodin-sys View signal profile →	Series A/B	US	23	-15%	20	+6%	2	Deceleration
13	orbiternassp View signal profile →	Series A/B	Unknown	58	-28%	37	+0%	0	Deceleration
14	nasa-jpl A world leader in the robotic exploration of space View signal profile →	Series A/B	Unknown	24	-37%	26	+0%	0	Deceleration
15	Official-MoonDao MoonDAO is accelerating our multiplanetary future with an open platform to fund, collaborate, and compete on challenges View signal profile →	Series A/B	Unknown	44	-37%	30	+0%	0	Deceleration
16	mx-space 混合空间 Mix Space View signal profile →	Series A/B	APAC	53	-55%	27	+0%	0	Deceleration
17	SatDump Sat Dump is aspace tech growth startup, shipping product updates at an accelerated pace. View signal profile →	Growth	Unknown	22	-56%	58	+0%	0	Deceleration
18	spedas Space Physics Environment Data Analysis Software View signal profile →	Series A/B	Unknown	5	-71%	39	+226%	3	Deceleration

Sorted by commit velocity change (14-day window, descending). Top 3 highlighted. Data last updated Q1 2026.

Browse the full Space Tech directory: all 18 startups, paginated

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Projected lead-time window

≈21-day lead window

Projected next milestone

Public launch / release

The free Sunday digest puts orbitalindex and 17 other Space Tech startups this period in context, 14-day acceleration deltas, contributor maps, and the top names not on Crunchbase yet. Five names every Sunday, no card, no code-reading.

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Projections are model estimates derived from each org's public commit signal and the SSRN-published methodology, not statements of fact. Cross-reference with primary sources before acting.

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Signed The Data Nerd · pseudonymous narrator · methodology over personality

More views of Space Tech, Q1 2026

Best of 2026

Top Space Tech startups ranked across all 2026quarters →

Q1 2026 vs Q4 2025

How Space Techcommit velocity has shifted quarter-over-quarter →

By signal type in this sector

Deceleration (10)Deploy Frequency Spike (5)Framework Migration (3)

By stage

Pre-seed Seed Series A/B

Other Quarters

Q3 2026 Q2 2026 Q4 2025 Q3 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

What engineering signals are space tech startups showing in Q1 2026?

In Q1 2026, we are tracking 18 space tech startups with measurable GitHub engineering signals. 8 of 18 show positive commit velocity growth. The most common signal type is "Framework migration", observed in 12 of the tracked companies. The average 14-day commit velocity across the sector is 42 commits, with orbitalindex leading at 1 commits (+999% change). These patterns have historically preceded fundraise announcements by three to six weeks.

Which space tech startup has the highest engineering acceleration in Q1 2026?

orbitalindex leads the space tech sector in Q1 2026 with 1 commits over a 14-day window, representing a +999% change from the prior period. With 64 active contributors, orbitalindex is showing a "Deploy frequency spike" pattern, one of the more reliable leading indicators of a significant product milestone or fundraise.

Where are the most active space tech engineering teams located?

Among the 18 space tech startups we track, US accounts for the highest concentration with 3 teams. Startups building launch vehicles, satellites, and space data platforms. Geographic distribution matters for investors because engineering talent clusters correlate with sector-specific domain expertise and proximity to early adopter customers.

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